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04/25/2006, 06:16 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 62
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nitrates and slime???
I have got a problem with my nitrates goin up its been at 0 now for the past 3-4 months they have been at 12.5 and im begining to get slime i have a fuge on the tank and the tank itself is about 2 years old and the fuge is about a year old its a 55 gal with 80-100 LBS of LR and 120 LBS of LS with a protein skimmer which is pullin its weight. Anybody have suggestions how to fix both problems?
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04/25/2006, 07:11 PM
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#2 |
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Premium Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: BC. Canada.
Posts: 14,351
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This thread has been moved to the current forum.
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Darren Beauty fades.... Stupid is forever...... Current Tank Info: 34 Gal Solana with some lights.. and pumps that make water move. And fish... |
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04/25/2006, 11:39 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Odessa, TX.
Posts: 107
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do a couple of big water changes and vacuum out the slime. Try to get the nitrates down as low as possible.
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04/25/2006, 11:42 PM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Odessa, TX.
Posts: 107
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also if you have bioballs, try to slowly remove them, and if you have any filter pads, clean them as much as possible. The nitrates are coming from somewhere, maybe the bioload is too much.
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04/26/2006, 03:58 AM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab
Posts: 5,824
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what kind of slime is it? Red slime in thick patches that are easy to remove by a powerhead(cyanobacteria)? Or white hairy slime(bacterial coating)
Both kinds of slime will help with the removal of nitrates to some degree. Need to know the kind first to help out any more.
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Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef. |
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04/26/2006, 04:08 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 62
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its more of a brown algae and I dont have bio-balls i run no filters its all done by the LR it seems do be cheaper and less of a problem to deal with and i do about a 15 gal water change every sunday because i dont run filters. I run 3 powerheads a 600 maxijet and 2 900 maxijets 2 of them are hittin the sand bed and the other one is pushin out for circulation in the tank. hope that helps guys any suggestions are good!!!
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05/01/2006, 03:49 AM
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#7 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab
Posts: 5,824
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Probably diatoms, wich are caused by excessive silicates. But diatoms have a dusty brown color.
Where are your silicates coming from? Do you use ro/di water?
__________________
Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef. |
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05/01/2006, 02:17 PM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 62
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im using ro water from the LFS and i have been for about a year now and havent had any problems so im not sure whats goin on
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05/03/2006, 03:53 AM
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#9 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab
Posts: 5,824
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if you dont run filters like a protein skimmer, your going to have to resort to biological removal of nutrients. Either by an algal filter, or some other means of export. Having a skimmer exports 3 things in general-bacteria,phytoplankton and dissolved and particulate organics. All three will produce nitrates(as a final product), and phospates.
So without removing those things that will always grow, they eventually get decomposed to the basic building blocks of life. And then the algae comes. Because they use those elements to build biomass.
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Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef. |
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05/03/2006, 05:19 AM
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#10 |
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Movin' on Up
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Webster Groves, MO
Posts: 2,282
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Are there bubbles in the slime? Does it make long tendrils or is it more of a flat sheet?
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Getting sucked back in slowly but surely. Current Tank Info: 27 gallon freshwater planted cube. Amazonian biotope |
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